Friday, April 13, 2007

The Weekender: 4/13-4/15

(Contributions from Defensive Listening as well)

FRIDAY

Goth Valentine's Day with The Pointy Shoe Factory/The Night Game Cult/The Undoing Of David Wright/Minx Burlesque (SHQ Denton): Secret Headquarters may face capacity issues with this one. Here you have two(!) recently reunited bands playing on the most suitable day for both acts just short of a Halloween show. The Pointy Shoe Factory's legend has only grown since they disbanded with some of the area's prominent younger musicians citing them as an influence. In fact, since they'll be sharing the floor of SHQ with The Undoing, you will actually get to witness their influence live. Almost too much personality for one band, you have the wonderfully over-the-top lyrical drama of vocalist Daron Beck, Night Game Cult leader Kyle Cheatham on bass, and the best possible showcase for Tyler Walker's explosively good drumming. It's either a privilege to see these three together again or for the first time if you missed them a few years ago. Night Game Cult will also be performing and I've seen one solid show after another from him in the past six months. You could almost say "them" seeing as how much the audience tends to play a role in each performance. As excited as I was to see The Undoing Of David Wright at Rubber Gloves last week, I'm almost more excited to see them unleash their fury in front of a captive audience in the more intimate confines of SHQ. Sound problems also seem to be more manageable in that room. Minx Burlesque is a spirited take on that timeless Vaudevillian art-form with more talent and soul than you get with emaciated Suicide Girls knockoffs around the country.

David Karsten Daniels/Arbouretum/The Naptime Shake (The Cavern): Well there's not gonna be any dancin' at this show (or swimmin' for that matter), but we can take a night off from all that stuff if the music is as good as what you'll find at The Cavern tonight. The weary, hazy sounds of Thrill Jockey's excellent Arbouretum might actually be a perfectly chill way to start a weekend: founder Dave Heumann has played with the likes of Bonnie Prince Billy in the past, but the compelling atmospherics found on his band's debut album have a lot more to do with soft psyche folk and Built to Spill than Will Oldham's material. Wildcat suggested that they sound like a typical Drag City band, and I agree. And thats a compliment. DKD's latest release might remind some of you of bands like Pink Mountaintops, Wooden Wand and Six Organs of Admittance, and although much of the (ironic?) religious imagery of those bands is present throughout his material, Daniels' music leans a lot more trad folk than most of those guys. Very solid.

SATURDAY

Fry Street Fair(Denton North Fairgrounds): So a lot of the bands at Fry Street Fair are probably going to be a major beating... Space Cadet, Mad Mexicans, the list goes on and on. And then there are a lot of bands that I've never even heard of before, many of whom will probably suck too. But whatever. Most people go to Fry Street Fair just to drink and goof off anyway, and there will be SOME good bands scattered throughout the day, including: Tame... Tame and Quiet, Current Leaves, Record Hop, Jetscreamer, Red Monroe and Knee Pad. And since its like 5 or 10 bucks to get in, it probably wouldn't hurt to check it out, as long as you can save your energy for the evening's festivities.

8th Continent Not Fry Street Show: This is one of the two Denton events that we are really looking forward to. Our first post on this show has all the details and links, but let me spit the line up out at you one more time: Abigail & Hansel, Hotel Hotel, Zanzibar Snails, Delphi, Oveo, Angry Businessmen, Nouns Group, Christian! Teenage Runaways, Chief Death Rage, Unconscious Collective and The Great Tyrant. Shit thats good. And to top it all off, its free, BYOB, and located at one of the most pleasant DIY venues in the area. If you're up in Denton on Saturday, I would say that stopping by is necessary, especially to check out the incredibly intense noise theatrics of The Great Tyrant at midnight. The first band goes on at 2pm, and as far as we know, they are playing in the order you see them here, every hour on the hour. Located at 731 Texas St. in Denton.

Ladies' Night @ 715 Panhandle with: Koji Kondo/Teenage Cool Kids/Get Serious/Angry Businessmen/Jumping Phoenix/Black Wizardz/Trifle Tower (8pm): Now that you know how great we think this place is, go for see for yourself but only if you want to have a fucking awesome time. This is a pretty straight-forward all out rock show with the punishing blast beats of San Antonio duo Get Serious, the skronky hardcore of Koji Kondo, 90's indie rock influenced Teenage Cool Kids, the screaming complexity of Trifle Tower, and brand new Alex Atchley project Black Wizardz. Angry Businessmen are working overtime by playing this show as well as making an appearance at the 8th and I don't really know anything about Jumping Phoenix, but I do know that this show will be a lot of fun. Come witness the increasingly rare phenomenon of an audience that gives a shit.

Zoo (The Cavern): Shit. We haven't been able to stop by for an episode of Zoo in a while, but the always entertaining video DJs are really busting out with some great stuff as of late. Check the partial set list for Saturday night:

Elsewhere, We Shot J.R. will pay you good money if you take acid and go see The Charlie Daniels Band and Little Texas for free at Sundance Square. First band at 6pm!

SUNDAY

Blood Brothers/Celebration/The Dead Science (Ridglea Theater): Gotta be honest: I'm not the biggest Blood Brothers guy. I understand what they're trying to do I suppose, and I'm sure they're great live, but theres something about them that just ventures too closely to screamo for me sometimes. Someone will probably want to hang me for that, but what can I do? I'll take the Locust if I have to make a choice. However, my so-so take on BB will not prevent me from going to the show to catch the excellent Celebration, who are probably one of the more overlooked post-punk influenced bands to have emerged over the past couple of years, reminding me of a more gentle Slits at times. Besides, its been like six months since I've been able to use the phrase "angular guitars."

Count Dracula's Weed Smugglin Jam Engine is actually a very awesome band playing at rubber gloves tonight with the Dutch Treats aka John Freeman. They surprisingly (only surprised cause of the name) sound pretty similar to the best stuff out of the Fiery Furnaces.

I'm sorry, but the girls in Minx Burlesque are drop dead fucking gorgeous. Especially the one with long black hair and short, Betty Pagish bangs. Va-va-voooom! I had the luxury of getting to look at her legs for 30 minutes.

Everyone knows that the "anonymous" praisers of Minx Burlesque are actually members. You're not fooling anyone. I'm pointing that out objectively, because I've never seen them and don't know if they're hot or not. But the fact remains that we all know it's you.

Why would I want to make them look bad? They could be fantastic, I have no idea. And what makes you think I'm in a band? Are those are the only people that get on here? And what band on here would be benefited by the Minx's misfortune? Are you just typing for the exercise?

Everyone knows that the "anonymous" praisers of Minx Burlesque are actually members. You're not fooling anyone. I'm pointing that out objectively, because I've never seen them and don't know if they're hot or not. But the fact remains that we all know it's you.

And why do you call yourself "tits are tits"? I'm assuming it is a comment on Minx Burlesque? You know, your only post on here has been that shitty comment you made DIRACTLY TOWARDS Minx Burlesque. So what the fuck is your problem? Are you just trying to piss people off? You're doing a good job of that, so congratulations....you're the winner!

You're so good at trying to make others look bad while at the same time hiding behind a horrible pseudonym. If not, then please inform me. Do you hate women or something? Are you a very insecure woman? Can you please go away?

Man, I wanted to do Denton stuff on Saturday so bad, but I worked at a private Lee Ann Womack show instead. Good money, but good god, how many sappy country songs can you freakin' write?! Is Pointy Shoe Factory going to play again? I never got a chance to see them when they were around, and now I missed their reunion.

yeah, right after I wrote that (and seriously, I really thought it was a joke...) I looked it up and good googly woogly, it was TRUE.

my heart kinda broke and cried a bit...but then again, I don't really care for muse outside of that first album being great for that year, and placebo's always irritated me (except when they covered 20th century boy in velvet goldmine). pooor saaaad frisco. blech!

First of all, I would have called anyone out on that. Second, I have repeatedly said that I had nothing against Minx, and that they could be amazing. I called myself tits are tits because it's funny and because you smell like you don't shave your armpits.

Well, tits, I don't shave my armpits because i'm a guy and it seems like that would hurt a lot.

I highly recommend your checking out Minx Burlesque because they're really good at what they do.

I don't think you should call people out like that though, because sometimes you might be wrong. And then it makes you look mean and stupid. And I don't think you're mean and stupid. AND i'm certain that you don't want to look like you're mean and stupid, right? I mean, how's it gonna' feel when you overhear some people talking, saying: Cool Person 1: "Man, that tits are tits is one hot motherfucker!" Cool Person 2:"Yeah....too bad she/he's so mean and stupid. Just a mean, stupid slutto with witch tits."

Hello - this is an official Minx Girl (the one with the Bettie Page bangs) - I've just found out about this comment business and I just have to say, I think it's very amusing how political the comments are that we inspire. And I'm pretty sure this is the first time any of us except Dr. Q has posted a comment, just to clear that up. Have a nice day and if you're wondering how good we really are, Speakeasy Party!! May 19 - Secret Headquarters